Women in the sports media world often walk a tightrope, and are often ridiculed because of their looks. Some have broken this glass ceiling, however. Linda Cohn, an ESPN trailblazer, has paved the way. Cohn, who was first hired by ESPN in 1992 has become one of the network’s most versatile personalities.
Danica Patrick
Danica Patrick is an award-winning NASCAR race driver. She has won many championships and been named the sport’s most-loved driver several times. Danica is also a fitness enthusiast, and a philanthropist. Her attractive personality and fit body have won her many loyal fans.
Patrick started her career as a driver of karts. She quickly became a racer. In 2005, she was the youngest person to win Indianapolis 500. She remains the only female driver who has won the IndyCar Series. She still breaks female sports records to this day.
Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn is an internationally renowned skier and athlete. She is one of most decorated women in history of the sport. She has won numerous world titles, including three consecutive downhill world championships as well as the overall world cup title. She is also a role model for women in sports.
Lindsey Vonn was a Minnesota native who began skiing at a young age. At age seven, she started competing in races and eventually made her way to international competitions. She competed in World Junior Championships, World Cup events, becoming a World Cup champ in 2004. Vonn won the 2008 World Cup overall title and was crowned champion in 2010.
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan's interest in figure skating began at a young age. She first discovered figure skating when she was five. Danny and Estella Kwan were Chinese immigrants. The Kwans first met at a school reunion. Her father was a phone company employee, and her mom ran the Golden Pheasant restaurant near Torrance, California. When Michelle was eight years old, she began serious training. She would practice for 3-4 hours each day. The time commitment was so high that her family had difficulty paying for it.
Kwan appointed Rafael Arutyunyan, a well-known technician, to be her coach in fall 2003. The pair skated to "The Feeling Begins", for the short, and "Tosca," for long. Kwan tied Maribel Vinson Owen's record in U.S. women’s figure skating with nine titles at the U.S. Championships. Kwan qualified for the Olympic Games, Turin, Italy in the following year. She competed under a new system of judging. Kwan lost to a triple salchow, and two-footed with a triple lutz at the World Championships.
Cari Champion
Cari Champ, a prominent broadcast journalist is well-known in the world of sports. She is the anchor of the noon edition on ESPN's flagship broadcast show, and she hosts the Be Honest podcast with Cari Champion. She has extensive sports knowledge and experience as a broadcast journalist for multiple networks. In fact, she will speak at the 2019 program track entitled Pushing The Limits of Human Performance.
Cari Champion was born in Pasadena and attended UCLA. She has one older sister and two younger brothers. She has not been married yet, and is not currently in any public relationships.
Li Na
Li Na is a well-known Chinese tennis player. Her humble background as the daughter a tennis player and an athlete saw her rise to prominence. Now, she is both one of world's top tennis players and one among the wealthiest women. Before her rise to fame, many of her Chinese friends had never seen her play.
Her self-confidence and ability to inspire young Chinese has earned her praise. She isn't limited to the world of sports. Li Na is also an influential cultural entrepreneur who is influencing the Chinese society beyond sport.